Personal View: Why being quarantined isn’t as bad as we all think

New York January 5, 2020 before COVID-19 hit.New York April 3, 2020 weeks after being on lockdown.

Students all around the United States remember January 11, 2020, the day the first death from COVID-19 in Wuhan, China was announced. Political leaders assured us that it was highly unlikely to spread to the United States. Yet, day by day we came to the realization that this situation was much more serious than expected resulting in over one third of the world’s economy still impacted today.

This situation we are in has robbed people of weddings, graduations, birthday celebrations, funerals, hospital visits and even routine visits with family. If everyone would practice social distancing and wear appropriate protective gear, the quicker we can eliminate the spread of COVID-19. Being in quarantine may not be ideal, however, it is the quickest way for everyone to return to normalcy.

Like me, most teenagers are stuck at home with our parents. While this may present some challenges for some, it is a great opportunity to reconnect and get to know one another again. Under normal conditions we were at school all day, studying and completing homework in the evenings as well as any sports or other extracurricular activities. e all have so much more time to share a family game or movie night since transitioning to remote learning. My family has been implementing this at least once a week, and it has been comforting to spend this quality time with family without all of the distractions.

This has also granted me more time to pursue my passions and even take on new hobbies. When I was younger I spent most of my free time dancing competitively because my school demands were not as great. Now that I am older, my main priority is maintaining a competitive grade point average. Since we have been stuck at home, I have had more time to learn new choreography, practice piano, and even journal.

Despite the negative effects of COVID-19, the quarantine has been a perfect opportunity to reflect on our lives and refocus on our futures. I have found that spending time alone is the best way to figure out what type of person you are and what you really want out of life. Take advantage of what the universe is telling us to do. Focus on the positive, and stay home! The world will thank us all later, and our families will certainly be more unified.